How to Draw a Butterfly: A Step by Step Guide

Use the placement cue to find the thorax at x50% and y39% of the drawing area. Begin with the small rounded head. Directly below it, draw the wider oval thorax, then continue into the long abdomen. Let the abdomen narrow gradually to a pointed lower end rather than finishing as a second oval.

Add the antennae from the head. Curve the viewer-left antenna out sooner and keep it shorter. Let the viewer-right antenna rise higher before it bends. Finish each one with a small open club tip; do not fill the tips.

Look for this before moving on: the head, thorax and abdomen are three countable masses; the thorax is widest; the abdomen narrows continuously; both antennae begin at the head; and the right antenna is visibly longer.

If it goes wrong: keep the sound body mass or antenna. Replace only the newest outline interval relative to the fixed thorax hub; do not widen the abdomen to absorb a misplaced curve.

Draw the viewer-left forewing first. Start high on the thorax, travel up and out towards its rounded outer shoulder, then sweep around the far edge and return to the lower side of the thorax. Use broad changes of direction rather than a row of little scallops.

Now build the viewer-right forewing in the same order: upper base, high point, farthest reach and lower return. Make this wing slightly taller and more sharply turned near the upper tip. Compare the two highest points before you close the second wing, then compare how far each side reaches.

Look for this before moving on: both forewings attach high on the thorax, span most of the page and return cleanly to the body; the right wing sits a little higher; and neither outer edge is clipped or mechanically copied.

If it goes wrong: preserve the complete body and the more convincing wing. Replace only the newest forewing segment between its thorax base and the nearest sound direction change.

Begin the rounder viewer-left hindwing at the lower thorax, just behind the retained forewing edge. Carry it down and out through a broad lower lobe, then turn the contour back towards the body. Stop its upper inner return beneath the forewing so the overlap remains clear.

Repeat on the viewer-right, making this hindwing slightly narrower and letting its bottom hang a little lower. Its attachment also begins low on the thorax and passes behind the forewing. Keep the lower pair smaller and rounder than the upper pair.

Look for this before moving on: four wings are easy to count; both hindwings begin at the lower thorax; their upper returns stop beneath the forewings; and the right lower wing finishes slightly deeper than the left.

If it goes wrong: leave both forewings untouched. Replace only the newest hindwing interval or its short overlap stop; do not redraw the upper wing to hide a crossing.

Work from the body outwards. On the viewer-left forewing, draw the longest upper vein first, then add the middle and lower paths so three lines fan away from one visible root area. Their ends should stop well inside the outer contour.

Add the three viewer-right veins in the same root-to-edge order. Let their lengths and curves differ slightly from the left. Keep the roots close without piling the lines into a dark knot at the thorax.

Look for this before moving on: exactly three veins are separately traceable inside each forewing; every line belongs to the body-side wing base; the fan opens gradually; and no vein crosses an outer edge.

If it goes wrong: preserve the silhouette and the two sound veins. Remove or replace only the newest vein from its root to its endpoint; do not thicken the base to disguise a poor start.

Move to the lower wings. From the low viewer-left attachment, add three shorter veins. Draw the upper path first, then the middle and lower paths, allowing more space between them as they fan outward. Add one small fold close to the base; it is the shortest line in that wing.

Repeat on the viewer-right with three veins and one short fold. Keep all eight new lines behind the visual edge of the forewings. Their different lengths should describe the lower wing shape without turning the butterfly into a wheel of equal spokes.

Look for this before moving on: each hindwing contains exactly three radiating veins and one smaller inner fold; the roots sit at the lower attachment; all lines stop inside the wing; and the forewing overlap remains dominant.

If it goes wrong: keep the complete silhouette and upper veins. Replace only the newest lower vein or fold, starting again from the attachment area instead of shifting the body.

Inside the viewer-left forewing, draw one long line that follows the outer edge at a changing distance. Keep it open near the root. Add the viewer-right forewing band next, allowing its upper turn and lower spacing to differ.

Place a shorter open band inside each hindwing. These lower bands follow the rounded lobes but stop before the overlap pockets. Avoid making the four bands equally spaced sticker borders; a little variation keeps the wing shapes alive.

Look for this before moving on: all four inset bands stay inside their outer edges, remain open near the roots and differ in curvature; no band touches a vein to create an accidental dark knot.

If it goes wrong: preserve the outer wing and veins. Replace only the newest band interval between two sound points, keeping the repair inside the silhouette and away from the attachment.

Begin with the upper spots. Place three open ovals inside the viewer-left forewing band, varying their size and spacing. Add two larger-spaced ovals to the viewer-right forewing. Keep every spot clear of the veins and leave its centre unfilled.

Add two open spots near the lower outer area of each hindwing. The pairs correspond by location but not by exact diameter. Finish this stage with two short curved divisions across the abdomen, following its taper without turning it into a striped ladder.

Look for this before moving on: the left forewing has three open spots and the right has two; each hindwing has a pair; no spot touches a vein or band; and exactly two small abdomen divisions remain separate from the outline.

If it goes wrong: keep the complete wing structure. Remove or replace only the newest spot or body division; do not enlarge neighbouring marks to make a crowded shape appear intentional.

The notional light comes from the upper left, so keep that side open. Add the eight short diagonal hatches shown beside the lower-right side of the body, within the narrow overlap area. Work from top to bottom and leave clear paper between every stroke.

These marks are the only value in the drawing. They should suggest a little depth where body and wing meet, not become another vein, a dark strip or a general graphite texture. Nothing else changes in this stage.

Look for this before moving on: eight short hatches remain confined to one lower-right area; the upper-left side stays open; every spot remains unfilled; and no earlier contour, vein or band has been retraced.

If it goes wrong: remove or replace only the newest hatch. Stop as soon as the overlap reads; never extend the marks across the abdomen or use them to conceal a weak attachment.